


Hospital

by Aithilin



Series: First Meetings [14]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Injury, M/M, Terrorism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 08:39:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10681689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aithilin/pseuds/Aithilin
Summary: There were dissenters in the city. Everyone knew that. They just never actually expected anything to come of it, or that the prince would be caught in the crossfire.





	Hospital

The prince did not get hurt. Everyone knew that. It was why they had a job in the first place. The prince was the best protected person in the city, even when he was being a brat and sneaking off to go fishing (where Libertus now knew exactly where to find him) or to just have a few moments peace from his station (in which case he was either with Prompto, or surrounded by trained soldiers), he was still being tracked. 

So when the news hit that there had been an attack from a group of Cavaugh refugees, the Glaives simply handed off the mission to the Crownsguard as part of routine. The Guard handled trouble within the Wall, the Glaives stayed to their own territory. 

It was Pelna who mobilised them, who sent the message over their frequencies as they finished up with the new recruits. “Guys, the prince was in the attack.”

No one had seen Nyx move so fast since Galahd. 

There were casualties, that much was certain. The prince had been out with his friends, his guards. The other kids who were tasked with being his constant companions. They would have taken the brunt of it. 

“Nyx!” Libertus caught up to Nyx first, had Pelna track him. He caught up at the hospital, had Crowe trying to pick up status reports, had Pelna feeding information to Nyx so he didn’t tear apart the city in his panic. He caught up to him before they had even reached the sudden security and guard that had been put in place around the hospital. “What the hell are you thinking? You can’t just rush in.”

“I have to see him, Libs.”

“They aren’t going to let you see him,” he huffed, glad that they were still in uniform— it would be easier to get into the right wing. He tapped his earpiece to check in with Pelna; “Any word, guys?”

“ _None. They’re keeping it hushed on all lines about the status. The Crown in on the move though, you’ll have the King at your location soon_.”

Frequency off, Libertus took a breath and tried to think for them both, for Nyx. They would need to get in before King Regis got there. Before whatever little opening they had was closed again. He pulled Nyx through the security check, through the panic in the halls to find any sort of clue as to where the prince might be.

“Ignis,” Nyx pulled away from Libertus, spotting banged up Ignis sitting with his arm in a fresh cast. “What happened? Where’s Noct?”

“I don’t know,” Libertus had never met this Ignis kid before. But he had known him from Noct’s stories— the adventures from around the city. Libertus knew enough about the guy to know that he was the one to usually be rational. “They just took him and Gladio.”

Libertus pushed Nyx into a chair, “Look, he’s in good hands, okay? Just sit tight and I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Libs—”

“Nyx, I love you, but sit down and shut up. I’ll find out what I can.”

He was surprised when Nyx listened to him. As Nyx turned his attention to Ignis, to asking him what happened. It was good enough for now, and Libertus moved far enough away to talk to Pelna privately without taking his eyes off of Nyx. “Any updates?”

“ _Not many. They’re suspecting about ten dead in the blast_ ,” Pelna’s voice came through after a short pause; “ _The Guard already started tracking the group claiming responsibility. The city’s on lockdown. They only confirmed one of the prince’s personal guard in surgery_.”

“Keep me posted, yeah? Nyx is freaking out.”

“ _As soon as I know_.”

Without anything else to go on but the chatter in his as he cycled through frequencies, Libertus settled in for the long haul. Confirmation that the king had arrived and the hospital was on lockdown meant that, even if he wanted to leave Nyx to wait alone, no one was getting in or out with a direct order from the king. 

He watched Nyx over the hours they waited, Pelna passing on anything new they might have missed in the halls. News of arrests, deaths, Lucian civilians caught in the crossfire filtered in through their channels and over the broadcasts. And Nyx sat with Ignis until the younger man was called in to report to Clarus, to debrief, to be treated like a fucking soldier in a warzone. And Libertus had to try to keep from shouting down the two armoured Crownsguard who came to collect the young man for their callousness. He may have never met the kid, but Ignis was still a victim in this, not a soldier. 

Instead, he took a seat next to Nyx and kept waiting. 

He tried not to think of Noct now. But he knew that was all Nyx was thinking about. He knew that Nyx dwelled on this sort of thing. These little moments of failure and helplessness that were out of his hands. He tried not to fear the worst when the only status update to come through was the Amicitia kid was out of danger and resting. 

“Nyx, talk to me.”

“Is there any news?”

“No.”

Libertus could only watch as the Lucian guards patrolled past them on new rounds. As they wandered the halls with their missions, as the chaos died down to a dull murmur through the hospital. As news filtered in slowly, but in a steady stream. Mission reports fed through Pelna, Crowe on the rounds with the recruits, working with the Crownsguard. It was all just noise now. 

“He’s going to be fine, you know he will.”

“I don’t even know where he is, Libs,” he had only seen Nyx like this a few times in the last ten years. And before that was in Galahd. He watched Nyx lean back in the plastic chair, hand moving to a particular braid. “He was supposed to just be hanging out with his friends today. He was coming over for dinner tonight.”

“He’s not dead, we’d know if he was.”

“You don’t need to stay.”

“Like hell I’m leaving you like this,” Libertus smiled, pushing at Nyx’s arm; “I want to know you’re okay.”

He almost missed Nyx’s smile. Almost missed that look of gratitude. Because they both had to snap to attention as Regis, flanked by his own personal guard approached. 

Despite the stories from Noct, from Nyx— hearing how the king was a father, had a sense of humour, had always made the time needed for Noct— Libertus still had a hard time seeing just why Nyx was so loyal. He could only see the king, most days— that stern figurehead of the Lucis country, the figure dragging his feet on acting to free Galahd from the Empire. But today… 

He could see the father in place of the king today. He could see the worry and exhaustion. He could see the way the king seemed older than he was. 

“Sir Ulric,” Regis started, “Nyx. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Your majesty, is Noctis okay?” It was the first time, Libertus realised, that Nyx could actually fit into another family. That he was just that much further from them now. 

Regis offered a small nod, “He’s asked for you.”

Nyx didn’t need to be told again, he got the room number and bolted for it. Once the king had been ushered away by his guard, Libertus resettled to wait for Nyx.


End file.
